Taking on a new challenge after 27 years. Will he be able to use Heungkuk Life’s V5 with his former apprentice?
In January, after manager Kwon Soon-chan left, Heungkuk Life Insurance had to play the league without a manager for about a month and a half. After coach Kwon Soon-chan was sacked, head coach Lee Young-soo took over as acting manager, but left after only one game.
Afterwards, Kim Ki-joong, coach of Sunseon Girls’ High School, was brought in to quickly reorganize the team, but coach Kim Ki-joong, who felt burdened by the endless controversy, decided not to hold the baton. Coach Kim Dae-kyung, who was the third coach in the team, is currently leading the team as acting manager.
Heungkuk Life Insurance, which recognized both domestic and foreign leaders, signed a contract with a master who had a brilliant career in Europe. He was Marcello Avondanza, a native of Italy. The news that he had terminated the contract with his former team, Turkiye League Turkiye Air, came out through the local media, and later rumors that he was in contact with Heungkuk Life Insurance spread.
Heungkuk Life Insurance also said, “It is one of the strong candidates, and nothing has been decided yet. “The details remain,” he said sparingly, but did not deny it.
On the 19th, Heungkuk Life Insurance announced that it had signed a contract with manager Abondanza. Abondanza arrived in Korea on the 18th, concluded the contract, and will direct the game as soon as the visa and other registration-related procedures are completed.
Heungkuk Life Insurance said, “Coach Abondanza is a top-notch coach who has been active in Europe’s leading leagues. By introducing a European training system that he has not encountered before, he is confident that he will be able to upgrade Heungkuk Life Insurance to the next level. He also said that he will spare no support so that he can achieve good results in harmony with the players and coaching staff in the future.”
Abondanza began his career as a coach in 1996. He took his first managerial job in 2003 with Scavolini Pesaro in his home league. Since then, he has continued to coach in his home league. From 2011 to 2014 he also coached the Bulgarian national team.
In particular, from 2013 to 2017, he worked with Kim Yeon-kyung at Fenerbahce in the Turkiye League. She won the league titles in 2014-15 and 2016-17, and the European Volleyball Confederation (CEV) Champions League in 2015-16. In the 2013–14 season, she also lifted the CEV Cup trophy. After that, she went through the Canadian national team, the Polish league and the Italian league. She has been recognized for her leadership by leading world-class teams including Azerbaijan’s Lavita Baku, Türkiye Fenerbahce, and Italy’s Zanetti Bergamo.
More recently, she has coached the Turkish Airlines team of the Turkish League and the Greek women’s volleyball team.
It is true that many fans have high expectations for coach Abondanza, who has accumulated numerous championships and experiences in Europe, and the reunion with Kim Yeon-kyung, who was with Fenerbahce, is also noticeable.
This is the first time Abondanza has taken the Asia League helm. Fans are very interested in whether coach Abon Danza, who is leaving Europe for the first time in 27 years and taking on a new challenge in Asia, will be able to collaborate with his Heungkuk Life Insurance to win the championship.
Even in the absence of a captain, Heungkuk Life Insurance is cruising with the dedication of the coaching staff and veterans such as Kim Yeon-kyung, Kim Hae-ran, Kim Na-hee, and Kim Mi-yeon. They are currently in first place with 63 points (21 wins, 7 losses). If 3 points are obtained from the GS Caltex game held at Jangchung Gymnasium on the 19th, the difference between the 2nd place Hyundai Engineering & Construction (62 points, 21 wins and 8 losses) will be 4 points. 카지노사이트
The recent mood is good. Although it was hit by IBK Industrial Bank, it overpowered both Hyundai E&C and KGC Ginseng Corporation. Kim Yeon-kyung is holding the center of karate well, and Kim Hae-ran, the indomitable dig queen, is also showing fighting spirit. It is also true that GS Caltex, which has recently lost momentum, has an edge.
Heungkuk Life Insurance will challenge the championship in 4 seasons after the 2018-19 season. He reached the championship game in the 2020-21 season, but was blocked by the GS Caltex wall and could not laugh. Now is a good opportunity. As long as the captain who will hold the center of the team has arrived, there is only one thing left to do. Can Heungkuk Life Insurance and Myeongjang share the V5?
Meanwhile, coach Abondanza said, “It is an honor to become the manager of Heungkuk Life Insurance, and I am happy to be able to greet Korean volleyball fans. I know the strengths of Heungkuk Life Insurance and how much Korean fans love volleyball. I am happy to be part of this family and I am very excited to embark on a new challenge and adventure in my life.”